Shubman Gill’s progress in the first IND vs SA Test in Kolkata came to an end on Day 1 after retiring hurt due to a neck injury. The 25-year-old batsman, who had been in solid form for India, apparently strained his neck after a sweeping shot and was thus forced off the field for medical attention.
Shubman Gill Suffers Neck Spasm During First Test
Shubman Gill’s innings in the first Test against South Africa was brought to an abrupt halt as he suffered a neck spasm after playing a shot. In the third over of his innings, Gill went for a slog sweep against Simon Harmer of South Africa and hit the ball for a boundary over square leg. But just as he completed the shot, he immediately appeared to be in discomfort, first rubbing the back of his neck before removing his helmet.
Physio was quickly onto it, tending to Gill, who continued to massage his neck as he walked off the field slowly, heading straight into the dressing room for further treatment. The crowd’s joy was dampened, as the player, who moments earlier received loud cheers, had to go off without continuing his innings.
BCCI Issues Statement on Shubman Gill’s Injury
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement stating that Shubman Gill indeed suffered a neck spasm and was under close observation by the medical team of the contingent. It further stated that a call on his availability for the game would be taken after monitoring his progress.
As India were sitting at 75 for 2 at the time of the injury, Gill’s absence left a gaping hole in the batting line-up. His forced departure saw Rishabh Pant walk out to replace him, but things got worse for India as they headed into lunch at 138 for 4.
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Signs of Discomfort Before the Incident
Meanwhile, during the pre-match warm-up, Shubman Gill was seen stretching and showing signs of discomfort in his neck to the support staff. Murali Kartik, speaking on the live broadcast, observed that it seemed Gill had been carrying the issue in his neck from the morning, which could be linked to the injury that occurred.
How Gill plays the remainder of the game will now depend on the development of his condition over the next few hours, as India was already in a predicament in this Test.
India’s Batting Struggles After Gill’s Injury
India continued to trail South Africa by 21 runs at lunch, with Gill out and important wickets gone. KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Jishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal went back to the pavilion, complicating matters for India and without Gill, the batting depth has been severely diminished. Rebuilding is now the task as India sets out to find a respectable total against South Africa.
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